Too Tough To Tame: Red: Book 2

by Darrell Maloney

  “Thanks, mister.”

  “No problem. Thanks for the coin. We got some fresh made beef jerky at the farm house next door if you’re interested.”

  “Not right now.” She turned to leave, and added, “Say, aren’t you gonna ask me why I’m looking for the man with the two horses?”

  “Nope. None of my business.”

  Chapter 33

  Back at her campsite, Red sat under a towering oak tree and dabbed white vinegar on the sting. It did the trick in less than a minute, and her arm stopped throbbing.

  Twenty minutes later she was sound asleep, snoring softly and dreaming of Russell and little Rusty.

  She imagined them in heaven, throwing a white football, of all things, back and forth between them.

  She imagined Rusty saying to his father, “Daddy, I miss Mommy a whole bunch. I wish we could go back and see her and I could hug her again and give her lots of kisses.”

  “I know, son. I wish I could do the same thing.”

  “Do you miss her, Daddy?”

  “More than you’ll ever know. But we’ll see her again someday.”

  “When?”

  “I don’t know, son. When the Lord decides her time is up, I suppose.”

  “How come He took us and not her?”

  “I don’t know, son. Maybe He left her behind to watch after your grandpa.”

  “But Grandpa is here with us now.”

  “I know. But whatever the reason, there’s no rush. We’re going to be here from now on, and her days on earth are numbered. Eventually she’ll join us, but in the meantime she’s still got a life to live. And some day she’ll be here and you can give her all the hugs and kisses you want. And then she’ll say, ‘Oh, yeah?’ And she’ll give you even more.”

  “I can’t wait, Daddy.”

  “I know, son.”

  Red didn’t know it, but as she slept the corners of her mouth turned upward into a slight smile.

  She awakened a couple of hours before sundown, thinking about her conversation with the man at the gas station.

  Specifically, some of his last words.

  “Fresh beef jerky at the house next door.”

  Her mouth watered. All of the jerky she’d had since the blackout had been the prepackaged store-bought kind. And lately it had all gone stale.

  She wondered if the man’s jerky was really fresh, or if he just claimed it to be.

  She didn’t like him. Still had an uneasy feeling about him. But besides the fact he was selling stolen goods for profit, he didn’t seem particularly shady.

  She wondered how long it had been since she’d treated herself… really treated herself, to something absolutely frivolous.

  And she fingered the coins still in the watch pocket of her Levis.

  She still had three silver coins. Two dollars and a half. Only the half dollar had been scraped, and not by much.

  It would probably be plenty to pay her way to Lubbock and to get her room and board for a couple of days.

  As for transportation back, she wouldn’t have to pay for that. After she finished dealing with Luna, she fully expected to repossess Crazy Eddie’s horses.

  She’d take them back to Blanco, where they belonged. Then she’d put them out to pasture. Bonnie could use a boyfriend, and the Bay would fit the bill quite nicely.

  She rolled up her bedroll and packed everything into her backpack, then bandaged her blistered feet.

  All the while she continued to think of the fresh jerky.

  “Ah, what the heck?” she finally muttered. She was going to have to pass by the house anyway. Couldn’t hurt to stop and check out the man’s claims.

  She tied the bedroll onto her pack and hefted it onto her back. Then she gingerly took a few steps.

  Her sore feet hurt like the dickens. They’d have to get adjusted to her boots again, and that would take a few minutes of walking. But the bandages seemed to help cushion the blisters a bit. She’d been worried she was going to have to lay up for a day or two to have a chance to heal. But her preference was to make it to Lubbock first, then heal while she scouted the city for a few days.

  In the meantime, she half stumbled and half walked to the house, which was just west of the old motel.

  From a distance, she could see an old woman working in the garden on the east side of the house.

  She also saw a man approaching the woman. It was a different man than the one she’d seen before, and although she couldn’t hear what either of them were saying, there was something about the way he walked that reeked of hostility. He leaned forward as he went, taking long steps and appeared to drive his feet into the ground.

  He was more stomping than walking.

  When he got to the old woman, he shoved her in the direction of the house, so hard that she almost went down.

  After she regained her balance he followed her into the house, prodding her with an occasional shove between the shoulder blades. She apparently wasn’t moving fast enough to suit him.

  Red was conflicted.

  When she was a child, she’d sometimes been witness to other kids being bullied by playground tough guys or abused by their parents. She always struggled with two different principles her father had taught her.

  One was to mind her own business whenever possible, because she never knew the situation from both points of view.

  The other was his contention that sometimes the weaker and more fragile of society needed protection. Protection from those who were stronger and more powerful. And who wielded that power simply because they could.

  Try as she might, she couldn’t imagine a reason for a strong man to push around an old woman, or any woman for that matter, in such a fashion. Of course, it was possible they were a married couple and that she would resist any efforts to protect her from her husband. That happened a lot, and it always saddened Red. To think a woman would rather stay in an abusive relationship than strike out on her own was a concept Red couldn’t understand.

  But then, Red had always known she wasn’t wired like most people.

  She decided to investigate further.

  Chapter 34

  Red unhooked the strap on her holster as she walked up the five steps to the front porch of the house. It was Victorian in style, regal and expansive. At least eighty years old, she reckoned. Lately it had gone into disrepair, and it desperately needed a paint job. But that wasn’t uncommon in these days and times. People were too busy just surviving from day to day to worry about things like painting and such.

  The porch creaked as she walked across it, and she rapped loudly on the door frame.

  As she waited, she examined a hand-made sign on the wall adjacent to the door.

  HOME-MADE JERKY

  Beef, Pork, Turkey

  Reasonably Priced

  NOT FOR BARTER OR TRADE

  GOLD, SILVER, JEWELRY ONLY

  The sign was on white plywood and was well done. The words were all spelled correctly, were evenly spaced, and seemed to be painted with a bit of flair.

  It wasn’t a sign a man would have made, Red was convinced.

  The door creaked as badly as the floorboards when it opened.

  “Yes?”

  It wasn’t the man she’d seen pushing the old woman in the yard.

  It was the man Red had dealt with earlier, when she’d purchased goods at the tiny gas station.

  “I’ve been thinking about your jerky. I think I’d like to try some of it, and take some with me if it’s fresh like you say it is.”

  The man looked around him, then opened the door.

  “Oh, it’s fresh all right. Just made a fresh batch a couple of days ago. Let’s go to the kitchen and I’ll let you sample it before you buy.”

  Most women would have been afraid, walking into a strange house occupied by at least two strange men, one known to be abusive.

  But Red wasn’t most women. Red was bold, brave, and able to carry her own against any man. Or even a couple of them.

&nbs
p; As they walked through the house Red’s eyes flitted about, as she tried to catch a glimpse of the mysterious woman she’d seen in the yard. She was nowhere to be seen, but her tormentor was.

  “Who do we have here?” he asked as he walked down the staircase.

  “A customer, passing through on her way to…”

  The first man paused, looked to Red, and asked her, “Where did you say you were going, again?”

  “I don’t believe I said. But I’m headed for Lubbock.”

  “She’s here to sample the jerky and to take some with her on her journey.”

  The second man merely grunted and walked into another room.

  Red placed her hand nonchalantly on her handgun, in case he returned with a weapon.

  But he didn’t return at all.

  The first man opened a kitchen cabinet and took three zip-lock bags from it. He placed each bag on the table, next to a burning kerosene lamp.

  The bags were marked “BEEF,” “TURKEY,” and “PORK.”

  Red said, “I don’t believe I’ve ever had pork jerky.”

  “Try them all. They’re all good. And you’ll see, they’re fresh. Just like I said.”

  She took a small chunk from the bag marked, “BEEF” and placed it into her mouth.

  She had to admit, she was pleasantly surprised. It was well seasoned and indeed fresh.

  “Think I’ll pass on the turkey and pork. How much is the beef?”

  “Ten dollars, gold or silver. Or a small piece of jewelry, as long as it’s authentic. You’d be surprised at how many people try to pass off costume jewelry as real. Seems the whole world is full of thieves these days.”

  Red could have said something but chose to let it pass.

  “I’ll take the bag of beef,” she said while taking the old half dollar from her Levis and placing it on the table between them.

  The man pulled out his pocket knife and started to shave a bit of silver from the side of the coin.

  Red said, “Don’t get too greedy, now. I know what ten dollars’ worth looks like.”

  He smiled, but Red thought she saw a bit of disappointment on his face.

  “Say mister, I’m looking for something else, too. Maybe you can help me.”

  “More information about tall men on horseback?”

  “No. I have a sore on my upper back. Snakebite a week or so ago that got infected. The bandage is due a change, and I can’t reach it.”

  He suddenly showed a bit of excitement on his face at the prospect of changing such a bandage.

  “I’ll take care of it for you, no additional charge. Gotta take care of my customers so you’ll buy more jerky next time you come through.”

  Red shook her head.

  “Well, that’s just it, you see. I appreciate your kind offer, but I’m rather shy by nature. I’d much rather have a woman change it for me, even if I have to pay her a few dollars to do it. Do you have any women who live here?”

  Danny wasn’t sure whether she was telling the truth about the snakebite, or was fishing for information. Either way, he didn’t bite.

  “Nope. No women around here at all. I wish we did have a woman around. To be honest, it gets a little lonely, with just me and my partner here. Maybe after your business in Lubbock is done, you can come back here and hang around awhile. My partner and me, we’re both real nice guys. We can take good care of you, and you can help out around here to help pay for room and board.”

  He handed the coin back to her, and she looked at the pile of shavings left behind on the table. It looked a little heavy, but she didn’t call him on it.

  “Okay, maybe. I’ll think about it, after my work in Lubbock is done.”

  “It’s getting dark outside. You’re welcome to stay here for the night. Start out for Lubbock fresh and rested first thing in the morning.”

  “Thanks anyway, but I like to travel at night when it’s cooler.”

  He walked her to the door. She knew that if he was going to try anything, this was his last chance to do it. She stood until it was obvious she wanted him to lead the way. She wouldn’t turn her back to him under any circumstances. Although he seemed cordial enough to this point, he lied about the woman.

  And only people with things to hide lie about things unnecessarily.

  She walked onto the porch and bid him good night. He walked back into the house and closed the door behind him. As he did so, Red could see the other man, walking down the staircase behind him, no doubt about to inquire about Red and what she wanted.

  She walked briskly down the porch steps and away from the house. But she wasn’t far away when something told her to turn around.

  There, in an upstairs window, was the woman, peering down at her, the room behind her lit by flickering candles.

  She was too dark to make out any facial features. And Red couldn’t tell if she wanted to be seen. Perhaps she was sending out a silent cry for help. Or maybe she was okay. Maybe the abusive man was her husband. Maybe he had other redeeming qualities, and she stayed with him out of choice.

  Maybe she was just looking out the window out of curiosity.

  Red decided that her trip to Lubbock, and her business with Luna, would have to wait another day.

  Chapter 35

  First light the next morning brought singing birds and a cool northerly breeze. Tucked between the tall rows of corn atop her bedroll, Red felt a chill and rolled down the sleeves on her long-sleeved shirt.

  Once warm enough, she dozed again, and woke up for the second time just before noon.

  From her vantage point, she could peer between the broad leafy corn stalks and make out both the front door of the old house, and the garden where she’d seen the old woman working the day before.

  She was bored. She hoped she didn’t have to wait all day for the woman to appear, just to find out her gardening was done for a few days.

  In the light of the late morning sun, though, Red looked around at the weeds invading the corn rows. If the garden was the same way, the woman had much work left to be done.

  She sat back and relaxed, munching on some of the jerky she’d purchased the night before.

  And thinking of the family she’d lost.

  At just after two p.m., the front door opened. The old woman walked out with a couple of large plastic bags and a hand trowel.

  Red watched as she headed toward the garden. She caught her breath when the woman bypassed the garden and headed to the cornfield instead.

  This was going to be easier than she thought.

  The old woman settled onto a furrow several rows from Red, and Red lost sight of her as she began her work.

  She could, however, hear the trowel as it dug into the dirt. The old woman started to hum Amazing Grace.

  “Excuse me, ma’am. I don’t mean to startle you, but…”

  The woman almost screamed, but caught herself. She said, “Oh, my…”

  It was precisely what Red hadn’t wanted. She was afraid she scared the poor woman to death.

  “Are you okay, ma’am?”

  It took the woman a moment to collect herself. Then she said, “Yes. Good morning, young lady.”

  The two couldn’t see one another. Red surmised the woman was guessing Red’s age from the sound of her voice.

  “I’m so sorry, ma’am. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

  “Oh, it’s okay. At my age it’s good for the heart to have a good jolt every once in a while. Are you hungry, or hurt? Is there anything I can do for you?”

  “No, thank you, ma’am. I’m fine. But I saw that man shoving you into the house last night. I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

  “I… I’m not supposed to talk to anyone…”

  “It’s okay, ma’am. Your back is to the house. They can’t see you talking to me. Just keep working as you normally would and tell me what’s going on.”

  Beth paused, as though overcome by emotion.

  “I… I’m being held captive by two very brutal men. They s
hot my husband in cold blood, and then took over my farm so they could slaughter the livestock an animal at a time and sell the meat to travelers. They took over the gas station and sell stolen goods, and sometimes rent out a room in my old motel over there.”

  She started to sob. Slowly at first, then uncontrollably.

  Red continued to watch the house through a break in the corn stalks. She didn’t rush the old woman, but had the sense she had so much more to say.

  She finally continued with her sad tale.

  “My job is to be their cook and cleaning lady and gardener. They confine me to my room except when I’m following their orders or in the kitchen cooking or on the back porch scrubbing their clothes. All I want is for God to take me away from all this, to let me be with my husband again.”

  Red wanted to hold the woman, and squeezed between the tall stalks of corn to get to her.

  It was when she saw Beth up close that she became enraged.

  Beth’s face was swollen and bruised, as were both of her arms. She held her left arm tightly against her body, and used only the right one to dig up the weeds.

  “Oh, my God! What have those bastards done to you?”

  Chapter 36

  “But where are you going?”

  Beth was in a near panic.

  “I’m going to show them what justice looks like.”

  “No! There are two of them. And they’re armed.”

  “Well, if there’s only two of them, then I’d say they’re way outnumbered. You stay here. You’ll hear some screaming and maybe even some gunshots. But don’t you leave this field until you’re sure it’s safe. Do you understand?”

  Red tenderly took the woman’s face in her hands as tears began to flow down her own cheeks. It was critical that the old woman assure her she wouldn’t charge out into the middle of something that could get her hurt or killed.

  She’d been through enough already.

  “I understand. I’ll wait here. Please be careful, dear child. This isn’t your fight.”

  “It damn sure is.”

  Red stormed out of the cornfield, cocking her Remington rifle as she did so.